Forward of the 2024 version of the Additive Manufacturing Customers Group’s convention—higher often called AMUG—we caught up with AMUG President Shannon VanDeren to study in regards to the group’s mission, the state of the trade and what friends can count on at this yr’s occasion (spoiler: there may be an 80s-themed evening!). As normal, AMUG shall be hosted in Chicago, Illinois, from March 10 to 14, 2024. For those who haven’t already, you possibly can register for the occasion right here.
VanDeren was promoted from Vice President of AMUG to President final yr and can be the proprietor and President of her personal agency, Layered Manufacturing and Consulting. She has additionally been part of AMUG for a decade, with an extended tenure because the Medical Monitor chief. In her new position as President, she is carrying the torch for what is among the most influential additive manufacturing trade occasions of the yr, which brings collectively engineers, designers, managers and educators from everywhere in the globe to share the newest improvements, experience, greatest practices and extra.
VoxelMatters: What’s your fundamental focus for AMUG and for the AMUG Convention?
Shannon VanDeren: My fundamental focus is break up: I wish to guarantee we live as much as the mission of making a convention that advances additive manufacturing—each by means of expertise development and folks development. Past this broader scope of focus is my intentional concentrate on the people who find themselves shaping the convention: our volunteers. I would like them to really feel inspired, supported and captivated with their involvement. Simply as essential are our members/sponsors. The core of the convention is the people who’re making the time to come back to AMUG 2024 and share!
VM: What are the principle targets you wish to obtain this yr?
SVD: I’m a folks individual and a folks pleaser. It is extremely essential to me to acknowledge those that take the time to spend money on AMUG (by means of time, registration, sponsoring, and so on). I wish to see and listen to all suggestions from these prepared to share. I wish to guarantee we’re reviewing and evaluating all suggestions. Our longevity and relevance relaxation extremely on guaranteeing the consumer group finds unmatched worth of their funding in AMUG.
VM: What has modified because you turned President of AMUG? Each for you and for AMUG?
SVD: AMUG is all the time altering! Whereas our mission stays the identical, the people serving on the board and on committees are altering. Splendidly, this implies new concepts and views are being offered, thus permitting for continued change.
For me personally, essentially the most noticeable change has been my time allocation. The position of president comes with a a lot bigger time dedication. Because the president of my very own firm, this has pressured me to create good habits to permit for correct time allocation whereas not ignoring or abandoning the imaginative and prescient and desires of each.
VM: What number of hours go into organizing an AMUG Convention?
SVD: Fascinating you ask this. Our previous treasurer reported within the enterprise assembly final yr that he estimated the variety of hours acquired from our volunteers to be someplace round 35,610! (There are solely 8,760 hours in a yr.) The variety of folks investing time to drag this convention collectively is astounding, admirable and wildly appreciated.
VM: And what are the roles of the numerous volunteers working on the AMUG Convention?
SVD: Oh gosh, every position is totally different in its necessities, each pre-conference and on the convention. To seize this in additional element, I might refer you to our web site for extra particular data. The board of administrators every have a ‘lane’ of accountability and are direct liaisons to not less than one committee. Our committees embody Collaboration, Finance, Governance, Worldwide, Advertising, Membership, New Member, Nominating, Volunteer, DINO, Occasion, Expo, Recognition, Registration, Scholarship, Sponsor, Tech Comp and Monitor Chief. This provides volunteers many choices for areas that they may have a specific curiosity in.
VM: In all of the years you’ve gotten labored on the AMUG Convention, what would you say are the elements which have made this occasion distinctive amongst AM conferences?
SVD: I attend quite a lot of conferences all year long and all of them show to be of worth. But, AMUG is certainly distinctive for quite a lot of causes:
- We’re all customers of AM. This places us instantly within the firm of others with an apparent connection.
- We host our occasion at a lodge, we keep on the lodge, we dine on the lodge. This provides us fixed alternatives for engagement. Because the lodge is crammed with AMUG Members, the conversations are already simple and aligned.
- The willingness to share and community with others (together with opponents) at AMUG’s conferences is unmatched. The camaraderie is clear upon arrival; the reunions of trade colleagues, the joy of constructing new ones and the real sincerity in dialog is downright particular.
- We’ve put a much bigger focus in recent times on hands-on workshops. Personally, I’m a tactile learner, so I’m far more attentive whenever you have interaction me by means of a number of senses. Casting, extrusion, ending and others are all present in our workshops.
VM: What does AMUG do to allow an increasing number of firms and events to get entangled with AM and leverage it to get essentially the most profit?
SVD: We offer a discussion board the place all of us collect—OEMs, lecturers, finish customers— and the dialog choices are limitless. AMUG is designed to permit for fruitful dialog and networking, in addition to for customers to construct their information, construct their Rolodex, construct their confidence, construct their ideation and extra. We would like guests to seize all of this stuff throughout the 5 days that we’re collectively every year.
AMUG builds tracks which can be designed to teach and additional implore creativity and assembles an expo that’s designed to foster communication and training. We encourage our sponsors to benefit from the viewers that’s there by providing coaching classes/workshops/teaching. AMUG retains us collectively in a single location to additional encourage interplay and relationships to assist every of us develop.
VM: Are you able to inform us somewhat bit extra in regards to the AMUG scholarship program?
SVD: Our scholarships are actually an act of affection and admiration. The 2 scholarships had been developed to honor two very particular members who we’ve misplaced, Man Bourdeau and Randy Stevens. One is allotted to a pupil who’s using AM, the opposite is allotted to an educator who’s using AM.
Everyone knows the worth of selling AM in academia to assist additional the expansion of our workforce. It’s a stunning union of honoring the legacy of contributors in AM with our instructional influencers and the scholars who examine it. The scholarship covers all prices (journey, lodging, and convention price). The scholarship recipients acquire perspective from the consumer group functions, and we acquire perspective by studying about what they’re investing their time.
VM: Trying extra usually on the AM trade, are you pleased with the place we’re at the moment?
SVD: I’m pleased with the place we’re. I believe AM has earned its seat on the desk as a viable manufacturing resolution. It isn’t good, neither is it all the time the precise resolution or absolutely developed; nonetheless, if you happen to have a look at our monitoring of its progress for the previous few many years, one needs to be inspired on the achievements we’ve loved. I’m much more completely satisfied that I’m immersed on this rising subject of development!
VM: And what do you assume ought to occur for the trade to proceed to develop over the subsequent decade because it has previously 20 years?
SVD: Communication, schooling, teaching, sharing, trials, workshops, the checklist goes on. These are all belongings in gaining dedicated funding in stepping past what’s extra typical/conventional.
VM: Why do you assume some firms have been struggling (particularly on the inventory market) and do you get the impression that the trade as an entire goes by means of a troublesome time?
SVD: I believe the AM journey has loved surges and fallbacks. New developments and developments include challenges, in addition to instances of enthusiasm and instances of skepticism. I believe it’s protected to say that we will not be surging in the meanwhile, however the hope is excessive. Gear, materials and software program OEMs proceed to innovate, thus permitting end-users to additional innovate. It’s a cyclical sample and I’ve confidence that we’re rising.
VM: And eventually, what particular occasions ought to we count on from this yr’s AMUG Convention?
SVD: We now have many particular occasions to sit up for!
- Off-site occasion: This particular occasion has moved to Wednesday, March thirteenth this yr. I actually have no idea the place it would happen. Solely a really small handful of individuals have entry to that data, and I’m not amongst them.
- AMUGderby: The AMUGderby (very like Pinewood Derby) will happen within the AMUGexpo corridor (Salon C) on Tuesday evening (March 12, 2024). My hope is that the members and sponsors flex their inventive muscle tissues for this enjoyable competitors! I’m already seeing some feedback about members channeling their “internal Cub Scout”. That makes me so joy-filled!
- 80s evening: We now have included a theme for the final couple of years. This yr’s theme is the Nineteen Eighties, which needs to be a hoot! The hair and wardrobe of the 80s was fairly one thing (I used to be a teen then and went by means of my justifiable share of hairspray and leg heaters). I’m fairly sure we’re going to have some good laughs on this stroll down reminiscence lane!
- On line casino evening: This anticipated occasion shall be on Thursday (March 14, 2024). This has been a preferred occasion in previous years and has some terrific prizes to be received.
AMUG 2024 registration is open
All in all, AMUG 2024 is gearing as much as be fairly the occasion. As VanDeren says, it’s a singular occasion that brings all varieties of folks from the world of AM collectively each to share new concepts and information and have some enjoyable. As soon as extra, right here is the registration hyperlink for AMUG 2024.
